Blog

Black and white photograph of a man with dark skin tone helping a young boy use a drill while making a coffin.
July, 24, 2020

Two Gods

Independent Lens

An intimate documentary about faith, renewal, and healing, Two Gods follows a Muslim casket maker and ritual body washer in New Jersey, as he takes two young teenagers under his wing to teach them how to live better lives. Inside…
A skateboarder rides with an American flag flying behind them. A lens flare obscures the image slightly.
July, 24, 2020

A Day in the Life of America

Independent Lens

Director Jared Leto crafts a sweeping yet intimate cross-section of America shot on a single July 4th in 2017 with 92 film crews fanning out across each of the United States and Puerto Rico to capture A Day in the…
A close-up of a man with dark skin tone as he practices playing a pipe organ in a large church with tall, blue ceilings.
Behind the Films
June, 17, 2020

Young Musicians Play Ancient Instrument in the “Olympics of the Pipe Organ”

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

The Montreal-based filmmaker Stacey Tenenbaum's joyful film The Art of the Shine, which aired on PBS, took the director all over the world, from New York to Toronto, Paris to La Paz, Bolivia, to look at the forgotten profession of…
The back of a man in a dimly lit editing suite as he looks over old home movies spread across three computer monitors.
Behind the Films
May, 1, 2020

Sasha Joseph Neulinger Confronts Family Trauma Head-On

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

It's been a pretty impressive run for what was someone's very first feature documentary. But then again, Rewind is no ordinary first film. After Sasha Joseph Neulinger finished film school at Montana State University, he discovered the raw materials that…
A man with light skin tone looks at a computer in a home office alongside an Asian woman, also working at a computer.
Beyond the Films
March, 26, 2020

This Couple Finds Answers for Adopted Daughters From China

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

Brian and Long Lan Stuy are a Utah couple who have adopted three daughters from China: Meikina from DianBai, Meigon from Guangzhou, and Meilan from Luoyang. After discovering that documentation for one of their adopted children was fake, Brian and…
An Asian woman with light skin tone holds her infant child while interviewing her mother for One Child Nation.
Behind the Films
March, 25, 2020

Nanfu Wang’s Riveting Personal Story Probes Impact of One-Child Policy

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Taking risks is nothing new for Chinese filmmaker Nanfu Wang. Her previous documentary I Am Another You, which was a SXSW Jury Award-winner and aired on Independent Lens, involved her having to live on the streets with the homeless subject…
A blind man with light skin tone on a date at a speed dating event with a blond woman with light skin tone.
Beyond the Films
March, 5, 2020

“Is Attraction Different in the Absence of Sight?”

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Kemberlie Spivey Australian-born independent filmmaker Patricia Zagarella has been creating documentaries for over ten years and co-produced the Emmy-award winning documentary Baring It All. That film followed fashion photographer David Jay into the worlds of four young breast cancer…
Headshot of filmmaker Jacqueline Olive, a woman with medium-dark skin tone and shoulder-length dark hair. She wears pink lipstick.
Behind the Films
February, 20, 2020

Filmmaker Explores First Steps Toward Justice and Reconciliation

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Independent filmmaker Jacqueline Olive, who has worked in non-fiction filmmaking for years and co-directed and co-produced the award-winning hour-long documentary, Black to Our Roots (PBS WORLD), makes her feature documentary directing debut with the searing Always in Season, which was…
A man with dark skin tone holds a phone to his ear. He looks anxious.
Behind the Films
January, 14, 2020

Filmmaker Accepts the Call to Tell Story of a Father and Son Divided

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Filmmaker Eunice Lau, who is originally from Singapore (and boy does she have a story to tell you here about the experience of showing her film back home), was once a journalist at Al Jazeera Network. She has a penchant…
An elderly George Attla rides a snowmobile
Interviews
December, 9, 2019

Telling the Incredible True Story of a Dogsledding Legend

Craig Phillips in Interviews

Filmmaker Catharine Axley seeks stories of empowerment through subjects that defy expectations, and the lesser-known but remarkable story of George Attla certainly qualifies. Axley's film ATTLA, which won Best Feature Documentary at the American Indian Film Festival, looks at the charismatic Alaska Native…
two ladies from Should We Kid or Not, one a teen mom and the other trying to become a mom at 50
November, 14, 2019

Should We Kid Or Not?

Independent Lens

To kid or not to kid, that is the question. Reproductive choice is often a taboo subject, and in this web series, strangers from all walks of life tackle and debate hot-button topics like sterilization, adoption, and teen pregnancy. Grab…
Jewel Wilson
November, 14, 2019

Jewel’s Hunt

Independent Lens

Sixteen-year-old Jewel Wilson is the next generation in a long line of prolific Inupiat subsistence hunters in Unalakleet, Alaska. Her ability to hunt moose is hindered by two pressing issues – scarce wildlife and the pressures of high school life.…